


It's a Hard Life

by sola_fide



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Brian's a loser, Freddie's nice, I don't know what the hell this is tbh, Implied drinking, Probably towards the end of smile, Roger is dramatic, Smile Era, if you're looking for great writing look elsewhere, no John I'm sorry, this is a shitshow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 15:15:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18919624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sola_fide/pseuds/sola_fide
Summary: Roger comes across two tickets to see a concert, but the poor bastard doesn't know who to take.





	It's a Hard Life

**Author's Note:**

> I've got to write a narrative in class that follows a prompt that was given so I wrote this shitshow. I'm pretty sure I was high when I wrote part of this but it doesn't matter. I didn't mention Queen or Smile because I don't need the teacher to know that these are real people I'm writing about. Also I'm posting this from a school computer. Please don't send this to any Queen members, this is entirely fiction.

“Oi, Fred, when’s the new shipment coming in?” Roger asked.   
He was at his register, and Fred’s was across from his.   
“When we’ve got enough money to pay rent, we’ll worry about the shop, dear. We’ve got to have a place to live before we can start to buy more clothes.” Fred responded, nonchalantly filing his nails.  
Roger and Fred were friends. The two had met a couple of months ago at someone’s party. They had (perhaps not in the best state of mind) merrily discussed opening up some sort of shop together, hyping each other up about the idea. Eventually, the two exchanged numbers. The next morning, they both had looked around for a place. The two couldn’t get the large, grand space that Fred had suggested because they were both dirt poor. Somehow, they had managed to scrape together some money to rent a small, shabby space and bought some ancient-looking clothes to stock it with. To make matters easier, Roger and Fred both rented out a flat to live in so that they wouldn’t have to worry about splitting (very small) profit for each of their place’s rent. Their clothes sold relatively well, but they were still barely paying rent. It didn’t help that their stock was marketed to a fairly niche group of people. The clothes they sold were essentially ancient. Fred would buy Victorian-Era clothing from some shady supplier for dirt cheap and sell it. Fred and Roger had a blast running the shop, but they probably wouldn't have even been able to even pay rent if it wasn’t for Roger’s “side job”. It wasn’t a job, per se, but it did bring in more money. Roger played in a band with his best friends Brian and Tim. They would play small gigs around town and split the money they got paid. Brian and Roger had been best friends for years. They met in college but didn’t hit it off at first. Roger was loud, social, and went to just about every party that he could hop the fence into. Brian was the opposite. He was intelligent and reserved and had probably been to every library on campus (and in the city for that matter). Somehow, though, the two had both discovered a mutual love for music and started a band, recruiting another student for vocals. Brian and Roger had been best friends ever since. Roger was thinking about this when a man approached his cashier.  
“Hello, how can I help you,” he asked the man, trying to sound as friendly as possible so that he’d buy whatever clothes he was carrying and maybe a little more.   
“I’d like to buy these,” he said.   
Roger noticed how he definitely wasn’t an adult. His voice was too high, he was too lanky, and he was dressed like a teenager. However, Roger couldn’t care less. He took the clothes on to his desk and started looking at the tags that they’d put on them.   
“That’ll be £30, please.”  
He watched as the lad took out a £20 note and placed it on the counter.   
“It’s all I’ve got,” he said, looking upset.  
Now, Roger wasn’t a monster. He really did want to tell this kid to take the clothes and leave, but £10 was probably the difference between if he and Fred could eat this month or not.   
“Sorry, lad, I need 10 more pounds or you can’t take ‘em.”   
The kid thought for a minute and then his face lit up. He hastily reached into his pockets and took out two sheets of paper.   
“Look! I’ll give you the £20 and these in exchange for the clothes!” he exclaimed.  
“What exactly are those?” Roger asked, the lighting in the shop too dim to make out the fine black typing on them.   
“They’re tickets to see Elton John! They’re really good, too! Like, front row good!”   
Whatever Roger had thought about getting to eat this month was thrown out the window. Why would he reject such good seats to an artist he loved? He grabbed the tickets and looked at them. They were real. He took the £20 note and the tickets and told the kid he could take the clothes.   
“You’re the best, man,” the kid shouted as he left the store with an armful of clothes.   
The kid must’ve really liked the clothes if he was willing to give up such good tickets for them. Roger thought about taking Fred to the concert, he really did seem like he needed a break from all of the work at their shop. But then, he remembered Brian. Brian absolutely loved music and was working himself into the grave trying to get his PhD. He took out the tickets again, only two. He’d have to decide between Brian or Fred. He began to worry if he took Brian, Fred, being the dramatic person he was, might get upset. But if he took Fred, Biran might feel like Roger was abandoning him for greener pastures. The concert was in about two weeks, so he’d have to make up his mind fast.   
“Hey, Fred, I’m heading out. Gotta rehearse with the band. It’s a slow day, you can handle everything here at the shop, right?” Roger asked, packing up his things to leave.   
“Yes, yes, leave it to me, dear. I’ll take care of this long line of customers,” he said smiling, gesturing at the completely empty shop.  
Roger waved goodbye as he left and caught a bus to the college they practised at. The college Brian attended had agreed to let them use an empty room to practise in after classes were over for the day. As Roger watched Brian take out his guitar and babble endlessly about whatever he’d learnt that day, his mind drifted back to the tickets. He really wanted to go with Brian. Brian was always stressing himself out over a project due on two weeks or an essay due in 5 days or even a test coming up. Roger knew he would probably die from the stress if he wasn’t pried away from his mountain of textbooks. That’s why Roger took it upon himself to go out and do fun things with Brian, and a concert was a great idea! But, Roger thought of Fred. He and Fred had grown quite close since they’d met. They were both full of energy and Fred was even a fan of his band. (That was only exciting because they hadn’t even released any albums). Roger loved going to events with Fred because he could match his energy. They were both eccentric and loved people. They’d meet at least 10 people per concert. Maybe Roger could give the tickets to Fred and Brian? But Fred and Brian didn’t know each other very well, besides the occasional time when Brian stopped into the shop to speak to Roger, he was sure Fred hadn’t even seen Brian. Brian was too awkward to hit it off with Fred quick enough to go to the concert with him. Roger realized that Brian had stopped talking, a sure sign that he was supposed to respond.  
“Honestly Brian, I don’t even know why you talk to me about your classes. I don’t know the first thing about neutron star collision or solar flares.”  
Roger hadn’t meant for his statement to come out so hostile. In actuality, he loved to hear Brian talk about space because Roger could tell that he enjoyed it so thoroughly.   
“Oh, alright then,” Brian sighed out dejectedly.   
Roger was about to apologize when Tim, the third member of the band came in. They had to set aside whatever happened before so that they could practise. Roger was… distant. Every time Tim and Brian would stop to discuss the lyrics in one part of the song or to rework a solo, Roger would sit at his kit and think. Brian chose to leave him alone. At the market stall the next day, Roger wasn’t any better. He was a generally hot-headed person, but not to the extent that he was that day. He would act cranky and looked a good second away from slapping the next customer who came in.   
“Roger dear you’ve got to calm down. I’m not sure what’s got you in such a bad mood but for the love of god, don’t take it out on the customers. I thought we were on the same page about wanting to eat this month.” Fred said.   
Hearing how exasperated he was upset Roger. He didn’t mean to be acting so mad, he was just so done with having to decide which one of his friends was more important than the other. Would he stick with Brian since he’d known him for ages, or would he stick with Fred because they’d started a whole bloody shop together? Roger did, in fact, finish out the day without telling any customers off, but it came with an effort that could only be described as Herculean. When Roger got to the shop the next day, he was already in a bad mood. Fred has left before him with their car so he had to take the bus. When he walked in, he noticed Brian. It’s not that Roger didn’t enjoy Brian at his work, but their shop wasn’t exactly his scene. Anyways, the shop wouldn’t open for another half hour, so Fred had to have let him in. Roger came up to find them chatting happily.   
“So, why are you here, Bri,” Roger asked.   
“Well, I called Fred and we both wanted to talk to you about something,” Brian replied.   
Fred just nodded along in agreeance. Roger gestures with his hand for them to keep talking. He was too intrigued to ask why Fred had left without him this morning or why Brian had felt the need to call Fred. Fred started speaking,   
“Well, Roger, you’ve not exactly been in the best mood for a bit, and Brian wanted to see if I knew why. But the thing is, I was going to ask him the same thing. We both figured that you’d know something about it. Care to divulge?”  
This was exactly what Roger was worried about. He didn’t want his two closest friends to start fighting over him about who would go to the concert. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing one of them. He decided to cave and just tell them.  
“Well, Fred, you remember the lad who couldn’t afford his clothes the other day? Well, he gave me the money he had and these two tickets. But you see, they’re Elton John tickets. And they’re really good, too.” Roger explained.  
“So, you’ve got great concert tickets, and you decide to act cranky because of it?” Fred questioned.  
Suddenly, Brian burst out in laughter. It took him a minute to calm himself down enough to speak to Fred.  
“Fred, he only got two tickets. He doesn’t know which one of us to take, so he’s been scared of one of us getting upset if he doesn’t take us.”  
Brian laughed it out as if it was the most hilarious thing he’d ever heard. Hearing it phrased by Brian made it sound ridiculous to Roger. He and Fred joined in laughing.   
“Oh Rog, you really are something else,” Fred said between laughter, “you’re so dramatic.”  
“Oh shut it, Fred, you know that you’d complain about not getting to see Elton John,” Roger replied, no real venom in his words.   
After talking it out for a bit and not really coming up with a plan, Roger decided that he’d choose who to take the night of the concert. He had to get Brian and Fred’s word that they wouldn’t hate him or the other person he took. The night of the concert rolled around, and Brian was hanging out in the shop again.   
“So, Roger, have you made up your mind about who you’re gonna take?” Brian asked.  
“Yeah” Roger replied.   
“Who is it?”   
Both Fred and Brian looked on, they were more intrigued than nervous. Neither would die if they couldn’t see Elton John.   
“I’m not taking anyone!” Roger exclaimed.   
Brian and Fred just looked on, confused. Seeing their expressions, Roger decided to continue.  
“Well, Fred, since we decided that we would, in fact like to have electricity next month, I decided to sell the tickets! Since they’re so bloody good and I sold them so close to the concert, I got tons of money! It’ll cover all of our rent and even a bit on!”  
Fred looked ecstatic.   
“You really are a bloody genius Rog!” Fred shouted.  
Brian just looked on with a smile. They really were just like children.  
“But Brian, don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you. Since I got so much money and one of you were expecting to go out tonight, I got an idea. Instead of some sweaty concert, we’ll go to a bar!”   
Somehow, Fred looked even more excited by that. Brian agreed to go and they all had plans. All three had a great time, chatting about the band, school, sharing whatever stories came to mind, and taking turns buying rounds. All in all, they decided that Roger’s plan was significantly better than the concert, and the fact that such good tickets had gone to waste wasn’t as big a deal as they thought. Roger hoped that he could have more amazing nights with his best friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I think I proofread this once. I'll put up a comment about what grade I got on this once I get it back. Feel free to leave comments or critique!


End file.
